The perfect weather for ice fishing

Sixth annual derby returns to Stone Lake.

Sixth annual derby returns to Stone Lake.

February 03, 2008|CAROL DRAEGER Tribune Staff Writer

CASSOPOLIS -- Stone Lake is typically an oasis for birds and some watercraft in the summer. On Saturday about 125 ice anglers flocked to Cassopolis, turning the quiet solid lake into a human oasis of bundled-up sports contenders. Many sat inside toasty shanties with portable heaters like Niles fisherwomen Mona Stassel and Janet Visel. Or they braved the 31 degree temperature and a frigid breeze on foldable chairs, like South Bend fifth-grader Rebekka Carlson and her father, Kent. Some simply stood, patiently, while a ceaseless wind whipped around them, waiting for the big bite. Young, old, men and women -- they were all contenders in the Sixth Annual Stone Lake Ice Fishing Derby, which began at 7 a.m. By noon, judges from the Michiana Walleye Association had measured about 60 fish in three categories: crappie, perch and bluegill. In the judges' tent a long 47-inch metal ruler stood ready, waiting for the next live fish to receive its official qualifying size. An erasable board recorded the latest front-runners, which at 1 p.m. included: bluegill at 8 1/2 inches; perch at 11 3/4 inches; and crappie at 11 1/4 inches. Lyndon Parrish, of the Cass County Sheriff's department, walked back from the judges' tent carrying a wriggling top contender that bumped the perch size from 11Ø inches to 11 3/4 inches, putting him in first place with two hours left in the fishing derby. The purse for catching the largest fish in each category is $540, said Fred Stein, derby organizer and co-owner of Marcello's Pizzeria. After a few years of canceled derbies because of warm weather, the event was a hot attraction even if the fish were hard to find. "It was a slow bite," said Dave Davis, who was calling it quits about noon because he had to go to work. "I didn't catch anything over 8 inches," the Edwardsburg man said as he carried two lanterns to his vehicle. Rebekka Carlson not only experienced what Davis called infrequent nibbles or "a slow bite"; by noon the 10-year-old had no bites. "I'm thinking I'm not doing something right," she said as she stared at her listless fishing line that was draped with a tiny maggot. "There's a lot of tricks to fishing that help," she said, explaining the various kinds of bait. But if the fish weren't biting for Carlson, she wasn't alone in that boat. As Janet Visel approached the scoring board to look at the latest figures she replied, "Don't I wish," when asked if she had caught one of the leading fish. "I was hoping to catch something (big) because it's my birthday," the 55-year-old Niles native said. Visel sat "inside" a gray warm shanty with her neighbor, Mona Stassel. Visel, who has been fishing since she was a kid, said she prefers "tip-up" fishing for pike. But there is no pike in Stone Lake. Even when she's not in contention for the big prize, she enjoys the sport. "It's relaxing. I have never had a bad day fishing," she said.Staff writer Carol Draeger: cdraeger@sbtinfo.com (269) 687-7005